The field measurement (in situ) department at IfG is involved in preparation and planning, as well as providing technical support and carrying out various geotechnical measurement procedures to determine the characteristic mechanical behaviour of underground support systems. The in-situ measurement data is used for rock mass modelling and for validating and calibrating numerical models.
Additionally, our staff collect core samples and rock blocks and transport them to our rock mechanics laboratory for further mechanical and hydraulic investigations. Where necessary, we also perform all required underground works, including full-scale drilling and core drilling in various diameters.
Our measurement engineers maintain direct contact with mine operations, enabling rapid and practice-oriented communication with our clients. This ensures a realistic validation of our modelling procedures and results against actual in situ underground conditions.
Tests and measurements
Our portfolio includes a wide range of underground exploration and geomechanical investigation activities. The test methods and scope of work can be flexibly tailored to the specific requirements of each project:
- Drilling of various types of measurement boreholes
- Core drillings with various diameters
- Borehole drilling with various diameters
- Borehole inspection
- Camera inspection
- Light sectioning technique
- Ultrasonic methods for characterising the damaged zone (EDZ)
- Stress testing (FRAC measurement) to determine the smallest principal stress
- Detection of cracks and cuts
- Deformation measurements
- Convergence measurements
- Extensometer measurements
- Inclinometer measurements
- Backfill pressure measurements
- Permeability measurements
- Sampling of any kind
